School is out, but have no fear; lots of great books are here! Join a forgetful turtle’s birthday party; follow a group of siblings as they embark on a road trip to capture a dangerous monster; reminisce with author friends and collaborators as they recount their days living together in New York City; and more in our roundup of some of the big new books for young readers.
Picture Books
David Ezra Stein. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-284524-5. Ages 4–8.
Small pup Murray is often overwhelmed by the busy world around him, but with the help of his reassuring owner, Murray can take on anything. The book received a starred review from PW
Philip C. Stead, illus. by Matthew Cordell. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4427-4. Ages 4–8.
A grandmother and grandson canvas their neighborhood to capture the wide range of pooches.
Liz Garton Scanlon, illus. by Sean Qualls. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-82344-332-1. Ages 4–8.
City kid Frances experiences a newfound freedom on a family trip to the country. The book received a starred review from PW.
Dev Petty, illus. by Ruth Chan. Abrams, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4197-4670-3. Ages 4–8.
When a forgetful tortoise can’t remember his age at his birthday party, he enlists his friends to help him recall. The book received a starred review from PW.
Julio Torres, illus. by Julian Glander. Atheneum, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-53-449390-2.
A toilet plunger’s desire to be a vase awakens declarations of true dreams from other household items. The book received a starred review from PW. See our q&a with SNL writer and comedian Torres.
Ali Bahrampour. Abrams, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4197-5245-2. Ages 4–8.
A foggy trip up a mountain shows a scared donkey that not everything is what it seems.
Bryan Collier. Little, Brown, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-316-53742-1. Ages 4–8.
Following the advice of his parents, a boy seeks refuge in music and discovers a world of possibility.
Jonathan Graziano, illus. by Dan Tavis. McElderry, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-665-92710-9. Ages 4–8.
One day, when busy pug and TikTok sensation Noodle doesn’t get out of bed, he discovers the joys of taking life one day at a time. See our What’s the Buzz? profile.
Grant Snider. Chronicle, $17.99 (60p) ISBN 978-1-79721-088-9. Ages 3–5.
A bus ride to school provides a boy with beautiful scenery and the safety of routine. The book received a starred review from PW.
Antoinette Portis. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4892-0. Ages 3–6.
This picture book traces a sunflower’s cycle from seed to sprout to plant—and back again. The book received a starred review from PW.
Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, illus. by Magenta Fox. Viking, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-59-352597-5. Ages 3–7.
A new guinea pig comes as a surprise to a household of pets in this picture book by Smith, author of the acclaimed novel White Teeth for adults.
Middle Grade
Destiny Howell. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-338-74671-6. Ages 8–12.
When his best friend angers the kingpin at his new school, mastermind DJ must come out of scheming retirement to help him or risk being a social outcast. The book received a starred review from PW.
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
Tolá Okogwu. McElderry, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-66591-261-7. Ages 8–12.
After 12-year-old Onyeka discovers her hair has magical properties, she moves to a Nigerian academy full of magical descendants like herself. There, she learns about her powers and her family history, and uncovers dangerous secrets. See our What’s the Buzz? profile here.
Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter
Zoraida Córdova. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-338-71271-1. Ages 8–12.
Following the death of their father, Valentina and her siblings take an adventurous road trip to find the monster that killed him. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kiersten White. Delacorte, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-593-37904-2. Ages 8–12.
Abandoned by their aunt at an eerie waterpark, twins Theo and Alex must work together to battle the monsters looming in the shadows and unearth family secrets. See our q&a with White.
YA
Meg Grehan. Little Island, $16.99 (192p) ISBN 978-1-9150-7101-9. Ages 14 and up.
Vampire Immy falls for compassionate flower shop employee Claudia, but struggles when she desires to drink her blood. The book received a starred review from PW.
Adi Alsaid. Knopf, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-593-37576-1. Ages 12 and up.
During a layover in Atlanta, teens James and Michelle start to enjoy one another’s company, until a myriad of natural disasters begin outdoors and chaos ensues inside the airport. The book received a starred review from PW.
Juliana Goodman. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-25-079281-5. Ages 14 and up.
When Beau’s big sister Katia is killed by a police officer, the only witness to the incident has gone missing, leading Beau on a hunt that unravels everything she thought she knew. See our q&a with Goodman.
Generation Wonder: The New Age of Heroes
Edited by Barry Lyga, illus. by Colleen Doran. Amulet, $18.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-4197-5446-3. Ages 13 and up.
In an anthology featuring 13 authors, classic comics receive a new spin in varying genres.
Andrew Joseph White. Peachtree Teen, $18.99 (416p) ISBN 978-1-68263-324-3. Ages 14 and up.
After an ecofascist cult killed millions with a deadly virus and make trans teen Benji the virus’s host, he’s rescued by a rebellion troop of LGBTQ+ teens and helps to take the cult down. The book received a starred review and White was named a Flying Start by PW.
Dahlia Adler. Wednesday, $19.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-76584-0. Ages 13 and up.
Queer cheerleader Amber’s plan of staying closeted is thrown off course when she meets female football player Jack, and must risk the status quo in order to be herself. The book received a starred review from PW.
Melanie Crowder. Viking, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-59-332696-1. Ages 14 and up.
Despite warnings from her doctors about her health, Blair Scott is in training to become a wildland firefighter, and in the midst of a fast-burning blaze, she must call upon her intense training to survive. The book received a starred review from PW. See our q&a with Crowder.
My Name Is Jason. Mine Too.: Our Story. Our Way.
Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $19.99 (96p) ISBN 978-1-5344-7822-0. Ages 12 and up.
Two best friends and previous collaborators Reynolds and Griffin reunite for a diary-style accounting of their years spent living together in New York City. The book received a starred review from PW.
Betty Culley. HarperTeen, $17.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-06-315783-5. Ages 13 and up.
Adoptee Rynn has always wanted to know more about her birth family, and her search to unearth her past leads her to a discovery that may pull her adoptive family apart. The book received a starred review from PW.
Melissa Albert. Flatiron, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-250-82636-7. Ages 14 and up.
A narrowly avoided car accident leads to increasingly bizarre encounters for 17-year-old Ivy, and the root of it all may be her own family’s dark past. The book received a starred review from PW.
Joanna Ho. HarperTeen, $17.99 (448p) ISBN 978-0-06-305934-4. Ages 14 and up.
May Chen is rocked by the death of her brother by suicide, and when her community uses hurtful stereotypes to blame, May fights to take back the narrative. Bestselling picture book author Ho's YA debut received a starred review from PW.
XiXi Tian. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-308602-9. Ages 13 and up.
Sisters Annalie and Margaret’s tense relationship is pushed to the edge following a racist incident at their family home, and Margaret’s investigation stirs up discomfort in their community and their family. The book received a starred review from PW.
Melissa Grey. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-2506-2220-4. Ages 13 and up.
Playing ladies of society by day and vigilantes at night, friends and potential lovers Kiki and Ana go on the hunt for answers after the suspicious death of someone close to them. The book received a starred review from PW.
Robin Benway. HarperTeen, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-285443-8. Ages 14 and up.
In National Book Award winner Benway's new YA novel, on the anniversary of his sister’s death, Leo attempts to recount the events of that tragic day while navigating his grief.
Kristina Forest. Kokila, $19.99 (480p) ISBN 978-0-593-40724-0. Ages 12 and up.
After a summer romance, Zyla and Kai have broken up, or so everyone thought, until the pair disappear together on a school trip to the Poconos and recount their whirlwind romance. The book received a starred review from PW.
